Labour’s membership figures show John Mann is wrong to claim Jeremy Corbyn is ‘destroying’ the party: Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Roger Backhouse, Orchard Road, Upper Poppleton, York.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn waves to the photographers after speaking at an election campaign at Battersea Arts Centre on October 31, 2019 in Battersea, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn waves to the photographers after speaking at an election campaign at Battersea Arts Centre on October 31, 2019 in Battersea, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn waves to the photographers after speaking at an election campaign at Battersea Arts Centre on October 31, 2019 in Battersea, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

I AM not a member of Labour or any party but statistics don’t support Lord Mann’s argument (The Yorkshire Post, November 2) that Jeremy Corbyn is killing the Labour Party.

In December 2014 Labour had less than 200,000 members. Under Blair and then Brown membership declined and I thought it was heading for extinction as a mass party.

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It now has around 485,000 members though with a recent membership drop.

Legion D'Honneur Presentation at Retford Town Hall, MP John Mann speaks at the eventLegion D'Honneur Presentation at Retford Town Hall, MP John Mann speaks at the event
Legion D'Honneur Presentation at Retford Town Hall, MP John Mann speaks at the event

Compare that to the Conservatives, now around 180,000, and Liberal Democrats around 115,000.

On figures alone Labour is in better shape. It looks healthier than the Conservatives whose ageing membership has given party leaders concerns, though it has increased recently perhaps thanks to a “Boris Bounce”.

Of course figures alone do not tell us if party members will actually do anything for their party.

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That remains to be seen but Labour is in a potentially better position.

Whatever his faults, Jeremy Corbyn has seen membership increase under his leadership.

From: Jarvis Browning, Fadmoor, York.

What a pleasant change to hear John Mann’s honest view on politics and the House of Lords needing reform.

I personally think that the Lords should be run by the ones that are neutral in politics but have contributed a lot into society, i.e. the likes of Lord Dannett.